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by Elgin L. Hushbeck (Author)
A different way of looking at politics.
Like an aging monument, democracy is crumbling. Increasing polarization makes effective governance difficult and is tearing the country apart. Every previous attempt at democracy failed. Will we suffer the same fate?
Preserving Democracy is a revolutionary book that challenges us to reimagine politics differently. Rather than seeing democracy as defeating the opposition with fifty percent plus one, the core of democracy is listening to everyone and building the most extensive consensus possible. A truly democratic solution must come from the bottom up. It comes from discussion, not division.
Preserving Democracy focuses on issues threatening the country, yet it does so with a historical analysis of long-term trends and dangers rather than the partisanship and fingerpointing that commonly dominate political discussions. It seeks solutions rather than places blame. These solutions are found in a deeper understanding of the threats and in the ability to work together. Only when we understand the problems can we find effective solutions. Only when we work together can we implement them.
While discussing the debt, the growth of government, our understanding of the Constitution and the Supreme Court, the role of justice in the law, voting, the misuse of language, the media, information, and American values, Preserving Democracy shows how we got here and charts a path out of the partisan morass by focusing in on the issues rather than the politics.
By studying America's democratic traditions, both its strengths and its failures, we can understand why America has been both so successful and yet is now so threatened.
Every American who plans to vote or otherwise participate in our government needs to read this book, not necessarily to agree with the author on each subject, but to find a way to better understand both the subject and the background of diverse views.
Informed dialogue may be the key to preserving democracy in America.
